HARD-pressed rail passengers, who have already put up with long months of delays on the trains, have had to face even more disruption this week due to the temporary removal of four Virgin trains from the Cornish timetable.

The situation has been termed 'wholly unacceptable' by the Rail Passengers Committee whose chairman, Christopher Irwin, has said he hopes immediate action will be taken to restore the status quo.

Instead of providing trains between Plymouth and Penzance, on a number of services passengers have had to switch to buses instead – and these have been running almost 45 minutes late on occasion. The situation is due to a driver training programme, which means there is currently not enough staff to man the trains.

Further disruption this week was caused on the rail network by engineering works between Liskeard and Saltash and Plymouth and Totnes, with the 22.00 Great Western train from Penzance starting two hours earlier.

More is to follow this weekend, because of further major engineering works between Liskeard and St Austell. A First Great Western timetable alteration explains on October 6,7,13,14, 20 and 21 all trains will be replaced by road transport between Liskeard and St Austell, this including travel to, or from, Bodmin Parkway and Par. Customers are therefore likely to arrive at their destination around an hour late and, in some cases, may have to depart earlier than anticipated.

Victim

One victim of Virgin's cancellations yesterday morning, was 21-year-old Roanna Burr of Merrymeet who planned to catch the train - due to reach Liskeard station from Penzance at 10.47am. This would have taken her to Plymouth by 11.15am, for her to reach work in the city's New Look shop by midday. Due to the cancellation she waited for the replacement bus. However, this did not arrive on time, and she caught the 11.13am Great Western train instead (which was running four minutes late). Her mother, Ann, said Roanna would arrive in Plymouth with around four minutes to spare, and so would just reach work if she could 'run a five minute mile'. She added the bus had also been late on Wednesday, and she had had to drive her daughter to work. She said: 'This just penalises those people who work, and have to get somewhere on time.'

The bus eventually arrived, empty, at 11.30am. By then all travellers at Liskeard who had hoped to catch the 10.47am Virgin service had been told it was quicker to catch other trains.

The drivers are being trained for the introduction of new Voyager trains - this corresponding with the end of an agreement with the union Aslef in which drivers worked, if necessary, on rest days.

The new winter timetable was introduced this week.